WasabiCon 2015

WasabiCon 2015 upon us – and to make your convention experience as easy as possible, we’ve put together this handy dandy guide for attending the event. Please read the entire page before emailing/calling with questions… because the answer is probably here!

CAN I BRING MY KIDS TO THE EVENT?
Yes! WasabiCon is an all ages comic con style experience for fans of anime, comics, cosplay, costumes, fantasy, gaming, paranormal, science fiction, steampunk, theme parks, video games, and pop culture et al. There are some later events that are recommended for older attendees. Please refer to the convention guide for viewing room content ratings and event details.

WHERE IS WASABICON
WasabiCon 2015 will take place at the Jacksonville Marriott. The address for the hotel is 4670 Salisbury Rd, Jacksonville, Florida 32256. It is situated at the south end of town right off of Interstate 95. Here’s a map:

HOW DO I GET TO WASABICON?
If you don’t have transportation (car, friend with a car, dimensional wormhole, etc.) – you can catch a ride using Uber! You can download the app on Android or iPhone (check Google Play/the App Store). If you sign up as a new user for Uber – your first ride is FREE (up to $20) from WasabiCon! Just use code WASABI when signing up.

WHERE DO I PARK?
There is plenty of parking at the Marriott Jacksonville and (just as important) PARKING IS FREE! If the lot does fill up, there is a parking lot across the street (a very short walk) where you can also park. Please do NOT park in the other hotel parking lots (unless you are staying there as a guest.)

I ALREADY BOUGHT MY TICKET. WHERE DO I GET IT?
Once you walk into the front door of the Marriott Jacksonville, keep heading straight. You will see a table set up on your left just past the elevators. Have your photo I.D. and your ticket (printed or on your cell phone) when you get there. Here’s a map. Note the location of “REGISTRATION (PRE-REG)”

That desk will close around 2:00 PM on Saturday and move to the main Registration room. (See above map.)

PARENTS: If your child is under the age of 18, he/she can not pick up their ticket without an adult present. Please refer to our policies: www.wasabicon.com/policies

I NEED TO BUY MY TICKET. WHERE DO I GET ONE?
Tickets will be for sale at the convention. You can purchase them in Registration located down the hallway on your right immediately after you walk into the front entrance of the Marriott Jacksonville. (See map above.)

Tickets are $20 for Saturday, $15 for Sunday, and $35 for the weekend. Children under 3 get in for free. Visa and Mastercard are accepted, but there is a processing fee.

CHEAT CODE: HOW TO GET INTO THE PRE-REG LINE (SHORTER) WHEN YOU ARE BUYING YOUR TICKET AT THE CON.
So… you want to find a way to get into the shorter line, do you? Well, there IS a way to do it (as long as you’re paying by credit card.) Here’s what to do:

Click it – and you will see the Eventbrite On-Site ticket page. This will be active after 9:30 AM on Saturday morning and (AND!) – if you use it to buy your Weekend Pass, it’s $5 cheaper than going to main Registration!

You will get an email confirmation (or you can install Eventbrite on your phone and pull up your ticket there.) EITHER WAY – walk over to the Pre-Reg Desk, tell them you just bought your ticket on your phone, show them the QR code on your ticket with your I.D., and they will scan you in.

Pretty easy, right?

NOTE: You can buy your Weekend, Saturday, or Sunday pass this way!

WHAT DO I DO AT THE CONVENTION?
Plenty! There is a complete schedule posted on our website here: www.wasabicon.com/schedule. There will be printed copies of the schedule (basic) at the convention. You can download the convention guide on your phone or tablet (more detailed) via Guidebook: guidebook.com/g/wasabicon2015/

PLUS: One of our sponsors, Jimmy John’s Subs, will be on property giving away free samples all weekend and helping attendees order subs for delivery!

I WANT TO ENTER THE COSTUME CONTEST. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
You will need to be in full costume at Panels A (San Marco) at 5:30 PM to sign up and be pre-judged on Saturday. Call time for the contest is 7:00 PM in Events A (Ortega) that same day. For complete rules and details, click this link: www.wasabicon.com/archives/2770

WHERE SHOULD I FOLLOW YOU ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
Good question. This depends on what you’re looking for…

I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS.
Please refer to our FAQ: www.wasabicon.com/faq

I STILL STILL HAVE QUESTIONS.
Email us at contact@wasabicon.com. If you have a question during the convention, odds are we won’t be able to answer – so try calling the office number. It fowards to an on site cell phone: (407) 536-9272

(JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, October 27, 2015) This weekend, WasabiCon – Jacksonville, Florida’s Favorite “Comic Con” Experience – will draw over 2,000 fans to celebrate a love of comic books, cosplay, and all around geek culture. The event takes place at the Jacksonville Marriott, located at 4670 Salisbury Road, Jacksonville, Florida 32256. Events start at 11:00 AM each morning with registration opening at 10:30 AM.

In addition to over one hundred hours of panels, workshops, and celebrity appearances, WasabiCon 2015 will offer some very special events for fans to enjoy. First: all attendees are invited to a wedding! Two of our returning attendees (Taylor James​ and Margaret Crose) have requested to share their love of fan conventions and each other with Jacksonville as they take their vows on the WasabiCon 2015 main stage at the end of Opening Ceremonies on Saturday. (1:00 PM, Events A)

WasabiCon falls on Halloween this year, so we’ve worked with local comic shop Mythical Mountain to provide a Costume Contest with over $500 in prizes for all ages! Pre-judging and sign up takes place at the convention at 5:00 PM on Saturday with the main event that evening. (7:00 PM, Events A)

Finally – the WasabiCon Dance will become the WaZOMBIE-Con Dance. Spend the evening with the dead, the undead, and the high energy sounds of deejays “d!j!ts” and “GoofyFM”. Admission to the dance is included with your WasabiCon 2015 (Saturday or Weekend) pass, or you can purchase a separate ticket at the door. (9:30 PM, Events A)

You can find the complete event schedule online at www.WasabiCon.com/schedule

Tickets are available for purchase at the events and are $20 for Saturday, $15 for Sunday, or $35 for the weekend. Children under 3 years old get in for free. Parking is free. Note: The rideshare app, Uber (uber.com/app), is offering a free ride to the convention for new users (up to $20) by using promo code WASABI when signing up.

For press credentials and interview requests, please contact the convention production team via email at contact@WasabiCon.com.

ABOUT GREEN MUSTARD ENTERTAINMENT: Started in 2001 as Wasabi Anime®, Green Mustard Entertainment, Inc. is an event production company that specializes in fan-focused entertainment and pop culture conventions. Based in Orlando, Florida, the company has made appearances and designed entertainment for some of the largest conventions in North America including Anime Expo®, Dragon Con, Florida Supercon, and Gen Con. Green Mustard Entertainment currently owns and operates five fan convention in North America: Florida Anime Experience, Florida Comics Experience, InvaderCON, PinUpalooza, and WasabiCon.

Taylor James​ & Margaret Crose love going to conventions. Since the two share in this love, they figured it would be a great place to share their love for one another…

And get married.

AND YOU’RE INVITED! WasabiCon will be hosting a convention wedding between these two lovebirds immediately after Opening Ceremonies on Saturday. (Approximately 1:00 PM). So bear witness to some what makes fan conventions great: togetherness.

Wedding staff provided by WasabiCon. Music provided my Jig to a Milestone

The last time Tom Nabbe paid to get into a Disney Park, it was July 18, 1955 — the first day Walt Disney opened his new Park to the public. Tom was a rusty-haired 12-year-old, enjoying his day at Disneyland. The very next day he landed a job as a “newsie”, hawking “The Disneyland News” to Main Street guests.

In 1956, Walt Disney recognized the “Tom Sawyer” in a young Nabbe, and he became the “Luckiest Boy in the World”. That’s what the cover of the April 7, 1957 issue of “Parade” magazine said, beneath a full-color photo of Tom dressed as Mark Twain’s paragon of American boyhood.

“I used to approach Walt every time I saw him around the Park,” Tom said of his yearlong pursuit of Disney and the starring role on Tom Sawyer Island.

Disney’s first response to Tom was “Why should I put you on the island when I can put a mannequin there? Especially considering the dummy won’t be running off for hot dogs every half-hour.”

Disney, quoted in the “Parade” article, had a somewhat more gracious recollection: “He was friendly and bright — and he sure looked the part.”

One job requirement was that Tom had to keep a C average in school. So every quarter, the boy brought his report card directly to Walt for inspection. It was perhaps the hardest part of playing the character.

After outgrowing the role of Tom Sawyer, Nabbe went on to manage other attractions. In 1964, he met his wife, Janice, while they were working together at Frontierland’s Oak Tavern at Disneyland. They were married on June 22, 1968.

In 1971, Tom was transferred to Walt Disney World in Orlando as part of its opening crew, where he started as the Transportation Supervisor for the Monorail System. He also helped in the opening of Disneyland Paris.

Forty-eight years later, in June 2003, 60-year-old Tom retired from his job as manager of distribution services at Walt Disney World. He was the last working member of Club 55, a group of original Disneyland Cast Members named for Disneyland’s inaugural year and for their chief qualification of membership — a paycheck from Walt Disney dated 1955.

Shortly after his retirement, Tom received the highly selective honor of having his name on one of the windows down Main Street at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.

In September 2005, he was inducted as a Disney Legend during a ceremony that took place at Disneyland. His wife Janice and son Ken were in attendance as he received this honor. Since then, he has spoken at numerous Disney enthusiast events, telling of his experiences as the “Luckiest Boy in the World”.

What is the Jedi Academy of North Florida? In their own words: “Our mission is to educate and instruct open-minded, enthusiastic, dedicated and hardworking the way of the Jedi. Accepting students all students between the ages of 6-65.

Initially we will offer basic/intermediate classes in the following practices:

The WasabiCon 2015 Costume Contest is a chance for cosplayers to show off their hard work and passion for dressing up like pop culture characters. The contest will take place Saturday, October 31, 2015 at 7:00 PM in Events A (Ortega). You must sign up IN ADVANCE during the Costume Contest Pre-Judging/Sign-Up in Panels A (San Marco) from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. No entries will be taken right before the contest itself.

This year – we’re proud to announce that the contest is sponsored by Jacksonville’s newest toy and comic book store: Mythical Mountain! The best of show winner will win a $250 Gift Certificate to the store – with other prize categories getting gift certificates, too!

THE RULES

You must have purchased an entry into WasabiCon 2015 in order to enter/present on stage for the Costume Contest.

The Costume Contest is a family-oriented event. Please keep all costumes to a “PG-13″ rating (i.e. no nudity or overly revealing attire).

No bought costumes. Costumes must be 50% crafted or more. You may purchase parts of a costume, but said parts must be disclosed during the judging process. If you are not the maker of your costume (and simply modeling), said creator of the costume must be present with you upon entry. If the costume wins an award, the award will go to the creator of the costume.

All weapons and props must conform to WasabiCon rules, hotel and convention center policies, and local laws concerning carrying a weapon. If there is a question of doubt, don’t bring it.

Please provide reference images of the character you are dressed as. We cannot guarantee the judges will know what your character looks like, so having something to compare to will help you as much as them! Please provide this image on a piece of paper to attach to your costume contest registration form. No digital images (i.e. cell phones, iPads, portable computers, tablets, etc.) or books can be submitted for your reference image. Please print the picture out for the judges.

There is no restriction on costume source. This means all genres & “original characters” are permitted in the contest.

Each costume must be entered separately. The costumes may be presented on stage (and prejudged) together, but each costume is judged as a separate entry. Simply put: the “Best of Show” award can only go to one individual and not a group. The “Best Group” award, however, is an example of multiple entries being presented together to win this award.

The contest will be limited to 50 entries total. (NOTE: Costume Contest entry forms are available at the convention ONLY. You may pick them up at Registration when you pick up your badge/wristband for the convention or in Panels Room A at 4:00 on the Saturday of the con.)

WasabiCon reserves the right to modify, update, or amend the rules at any time… just in case.

Have fun!

THE INFO

REGISTRATION takes place Saturday during the Costume Contest Pre-Judging/Sign-Up in Panels A (San Marco) from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM.

SET UP: All contestants MUST report to Events A (Ortega) at 6:30 PM to be coordinated for contest. If you are late, you will not be in the contest.

THE CONTEST takes place that same Saturday from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM in Events A (Ortega). There is a 30-minute break to allow for the judges to discuss winners – during which the audience will watch a presentation from Noise Complaint. The winners will be announced after the performance.

THE AWARDS

Best of Show (aka “THE winner”)This winner will take home a $250 Gift Card to Mythical Mountain in Jacksonville, Florida!

Runner Up (aka “the winner that’s not THE winner”)This winner will take home a $100 Gift Card to Mythical Mountain in Jacksonville, Florida!

Best Junior Costume (aka “the winner that is under the age of 14”)This winner will take home a $100 Gift Card to Mythical Mountain in Jacksonville, Florida!

Honorable Mention (aka “you were good enough for us to notice”)

Best Costume Group (aka “the folks who looked cool together in costume”)

“Hamaji, a young huntress from the mountains, stumbles into the middle of a shogun’s vendetta against a group of human and dog hybrids, the Fusé. Rumors of Fusé murdering innocent people in the bustling city of Edo have sparked a bounty for their heads. Along with her brother, Hamaji joins the hunt for this dangerous quarry, but after accidentally befriending one of them, Hamaji is torn between two worlds: her life as a self-reliant huntress, and the young woman her new friend has helped her to uncover.”